Irish Justice Minister is targeted on YouTube

The video-sharing site YouTube has closed the account of a user who posted antisemitic clips attacking the Irish Justice Minister.Alan Shatter, the only Jewish member of Ireland's lower house of parliament - Dáil Éireann - asked police to investigate. One video claimed he was a "Jewish nation-wrecker" who was "destroying Ireland".

He has previously been the target of abuse because of his Jewish background.

The video opened with an image of Mr Shatter superimposed on an Israeli flag, and claimed that the politician was a "Zionist and Israeli agent".

Mr Shatter reported this and a second video titled "The Jews destroying Ireland" to police last week. Officers contacted Google, which owns YouTube, and they were removed.

The first video stated: "Since becoming minister for justice and defence, this Jew has been shattering the nation with policy designed to deconstruct our ethnic and cultural identity."

The images were set to background music, including Hava Nagila. The video was posted in January by a user under the name "Éireannach agus bródúil" – "Proud to be Irish". 1,200 people viewed it before the account was closed.

Mr Shatter was also accused in the video of fast-tracking bogus asylum applications and of running "anti-Irish" schemes, including one which aimed to turn the country into a "Balkanised multiracial dystopia".

Posted in January, the video claimed he was a "snake", who was part of an international banking network with his "fellow tribesmen".

It ended with a claim that when he had finished "destroying" Ireland he could "f*** off back to…live in the Jewish state for Jewish people".

The second video, uploaded last week, showed Mr Shatter and played sinister music with the caption: "this is the Jew who is now in control of Ireland's immigration policy".

It also featured Israeli academic Ronit Lentin, who is head of sociology at Trinity College, Dublin, and attacked the Irish government's immigration policies.

One comment posted on the clip refered to Dr Lentin as "rat-faced vermin" and another congratulated the video-maker: "Top vid. Another eye-opener."

Dr Lentin said: "It's not the first time these videos have appeared. In the past my college has stepped in and had another video taken down, but it soon reappeared.

"One time it was a neo-Nazi group which made the clip. My mentality would be to ignore it, but I am pleased Mr Shatter reported it to the police.

"It's very upsetting. He has shown me a thick file of abuse he has received. It's pure antisemitism.

"I have had threatening letters sent to my home address, but they will not intimidate me."

A spokeswoman for Mr Shatter said the videos were of "substantial concern".